Hassan Rouhani says Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen a ‘mistake’
10 April 2015 12:48 AM GMT
Iran's president on Thursday warned Saudi Arabia and its allies that their airstrikes' campaign in Yemen is a "mistake" and called for a halt to the strikes targeting the Iran-backed Shiite rebels who have seized much of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country.
For two weeks now, the Saudi-led coalition has failed to stop the power grab by the Houthi rebels, whose advance has forced President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to flee the country.
Both Tehran and the rebels deny that Iran is arming them.
The airstrikes against the Houthis and their allies, including loyalists of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have also failed to stop the rebels' advance on Aden, Yemen's second-largest city, which was declared a provisional capital by Hadi before he fled to Saudi Arabia.
In his speech in Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged for a ceasefire in Yemen to allow for broad-based talks on resolving the crisis.
US will not stand by as Iran backs rebels: Kerry
The United States will not stand by while Iran provides support to Shiite rebels who have seiz ed much of Yemen, Secretary of State John Kerry said. "There have been -- there are, obviously -- flights coming from Iran. Every single week there are flights from Iran and we've traced it and know this," Kerry said. "Iran needs to recognize that the United States is not going to stand by while the region is destabilised."
For two weeks now, the Saudi-led coalition has failed to stop the power grab by the Houthi rebels, whose advance has forced President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi to flee the country.
Both Tehran and the rebels deny that Iran is arming them.
The airstrikes against the Houthis and their allies, including loyalists of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have also failed to stop the rebels' advance on Aden, Yemen's second-largest city, which was declared a provisional capital by Hadi before he fled to Saudi Arabia.
In his speech in Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged for a ceasefire in Yemen to allow for broad-based talks on resolving the crisis.
US will not stand by as Iran backs rebels: Kerry
The United States will not stand by while Iran provides support to Shiite rebels who have seiz ed much of Yemen, Secretary of State John Kerry said. "There have been -- there are, obviously -- flights coming from Iran. Every single week there are flights from Iran and we've traced it and know this," Kerry said. "Iran needs to recognize that the United States is not going to stand by while the region is destabilised."
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